Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-18


All OF sudden she gave q start: "a
clock was striking 6; the postman woul
soon arrive with newspapers and letters
and among them would be that curse
letter Of hers.
She would have been glad to find som
excuse to send her husband of, but idea
lifted so rapidly through her mind tina
she could grasp no single one With he
eyes fixed on the clock, she could only re
peat to herself: ''The postman is comm,
with my letterir'
! 'Iam hungryr' said Mr.. vivien. tSup
pose Te 60 dQWp to breakfast. / haY,
been Travelling since midnight"
And both went down together.
As luck would have 1t, the postma,
was behind time that morning. TO Alice
the voice of her husband sounded as 4
would have done in a distant dream, q;
she pictured to herself tho row that wa
going to take place
She looked at him eating 80 heartily,
his eyes beaming with tenderness and
confidence, and she thought how soon all
that quiet happiness would vanish, and
all through her fault.
At last she heard the postman's foot
step, and, soon after, the servant laid the
mail on the table.
Mr.. Vivien looked mechanically at the
envelopes; there were three letters.
Alice, overcome with terror, felt the
blood coursing about her temples and
buzzing through her ears as she closed
her eyes, almost ready to faint away.
"Who writes to you in this placer
asked her husband, handing her a small,
scented envelope addressed in q strange
handwriting
81 don't know" stammered she.
| Look and see."
But Alice held her letter without dar-
ing to open it.
'Well, why don't you read that letter."
insisted Mr.. Viyien.
Then, with movement of despair, she
abruptly handed him the letter, saying:
Read it yourselfr' and she awaited.
expecting to $50 everything fall to pieces
about her.
She heard the noise Of tearing paper,
and then, after a few seconds of mortal
agony, her husband said:
"The letter is signed Roger dc Beau
mont. He il secretary Of benevolent
committee, and requests your aid in rails
Ing funds for the orphans"
A few days later Mr.. Vivien took Alice
back to Paris. The young woman had
not seen anything OF Roger, and she was
terribly worried by the thought that her
letter had remained in the young mans
possession.
The remembrance Of that letter became
the torture of her life.
At times she would have a crazy notion
OF throwing herself at her husbands feet
and acknowledging her moment Of folly,
but she was terrified at the thought thai
it might destroy their quiet happiness.
Another fear also oppressed her and
choked down the avOwal that her over
burdened heart wished to make.
"Wil my husband really believe that
man obtained only those few lines of love
from mes'
She would occasionally see Roger at the
play, at the race or on the promenade; in
looking at her he would always smile in
such knocking way that she would
tremble from shame and anguish
Ten years went by in this way. At last,
they met by chance one evening at a grand
ball. Roger came forward to engage
Alice for dance. It was only by super
human effort that she did not faint, but
on rejecting that she would perhaps never
again have an opportunity of speaking to
the man who held her honor, nay even her
life, In his hands, she accepted his invita-
ton.
Sir" said she in low voice, stfor
heavens sake have pity on me this time.
Give me back my peace Of mind. During
tho past ten years Of my life have been
tortured almost to death. For PHYS sake,
return the letter which I 80 foolishly
wrote to you"
Roger burst out in loud, careless
laugh, while the woman stood painting
with Impotence and anger.
At last he answered frankly, his voice
still seeming full Of fun:
why, do you think that / have been
keeping all the love letters that received
during my lifei On my honor, / swear
1t, lighted my cigar with yours the day
you left the seaside, when saw that all
hope was lost. Translated from the
French Of Morand for The Times Demo-
crat